Area chiefs declare Ring of Fire a protected homeland

By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com ATTAWAPISKAT – A youth-led movement is gaining momentum as Mushkegowuk Council chiefs formally declared the Ring of Fire a protected homeland. Meeting in Ottawa on July 15, the Mushkegowuk Council of Chiefs passed a resolution asserting that no development can take place in the Ring of Fire without the free, prior, and informed consent of any affected Mushkegowuk First Nation. The resolution also called for the withdrawal and repeal of Ontario’s Bill 5 and Canada’s Bill C-5, legislation many say undermines Indigenous rights by streamlining development approvals on traditional lands. The motion was sparked by a presentation from 21-year-old Jeronimo Kataquapit, an Attawapiskat resident who recently launched the movement Here We Stand. For nearly a month, Kataquapit and his family have camped along…

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